Priya Kapoor
Ancient Egyptian art and architecture has captured the imagination of people around the world, with its unique characteristics and principles. The art form, which includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, jewellery, and architecture, was influenced by the political and religious beliefs of ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptian art is two-dimensional or three-dimensional and served both aesthetic and functional purposes. The characteristics of Egyptian art include symbolism, balance, and symmetry, with strict rules applied to poses, gestures, and proportions of figures. The art form has been criticised for its static and blocky nature, but it served a different purpose than later art movements, aiming to preserve the forms and conventions that reflected the perfection of the world at its creation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To preserve everything from the present as clearly and permanently as possible |
| Function | Bound with religion and ideology |
| Viewpoint | Should be seen from the viewpoint of the ancient Egyptians, not from ours |
| Style | Distinctive and recognisable |
| Realism | Not an attempt to replicate the real world |
| Subjects | Depicted as young, physically fit, and perfect, with no distinguishing features or emotions |
| Status | Depicted through scale and positioning |
| Proportions | Based on the width of the palm of the hand |
| Materials | Mineral pigments, papyrus, stone, wood, ivory, silver, limestone, sandstone, and clay |
| Light | Bright sunlight |
| Techniques | Sunken relief, fresco a secco, axiality, frontality, aspective art |
| Symbolism | Used to portray ideas of status and the wider cosmic purpose of maintaining order (Ma'at) |
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What You'll Learn
- Ancient Egyptian art was influenced by political and religious beliefs
- Artwork served an aesthetic and functional purpose
- Artworks were two-dimensional or three-dimensional
- The use of makeup was a characteristic feature of the culture
- Artworks were created to provide peace and assistance to the deceased in the afterlife
Ancient Egyptian art was influenced by political and religious beliefs
Ancient Egyptian art was highly influenced by the political and religious beliefs of the time. The art form included paintings, sculptures, drawings on papyrus, architecture, and other media. Notably, the Nile River and its predictable flooding allowed ancient Egyptian civilisation to flourish, and this is reflected in their art. The stable environment encouraged by the Nile meant that Egyptian art could develop with little outside influence, resulting in a highly stylised and symbolic art form.
Ancient Egyptian art was heavily influenced by the religious beliefs of the time. The ancient Egyptian language had no word for "art", and artworks served a functional purpose bound with religion and ideology. The act of rendering a subject in art was to give it permanence, and Egyptian artisans aimed to preserve the forms and conventions that reflected the perfection of the world at the primordial moment of creation. This is why Egyptian art appears resistant to development and individual artistic judgement. The art form was also influenced by the belief in the afterlife, with much of the surviving art being found in tombs and monuments. For example, the sides of coffins were decorated with a pair of eyes so that the deceased could look out towards the rising sun, symbolising daily rebirth.
The political beliefs of ancient Egypt also influenced the art form. The sizes of figures in paintings were determined by their importance, with figures drawn to scale based on their relative importance rather than their distance from the painter's point of view. For instance, the Pharaoh would be drawn as the largest figure in a painting, with a greater God drawn larger than a lesser god. This use of scale to reflect status was a fundamental principle of Egyptian art.
The art form was also influenced by the desire to preserve the knowledge of the past. Egyptian artisans aimed to preserve everything from the present as clearly and permanently as possible. This is reflected in the highly detailed and symbolic nature of Egyptian art.
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Artwork served an aesthetic and functional purpose
Ancient Egyptian art was created to serve a purpose that was fundamentally practical and tied to religion and ideology. It was believed that rendering a subject in art gave it permanence, and so Egyptian art portrayed an idealised, unrealistic view of the world. This art form aimed to preserve the present as clearly and permanently as possible, reflecting the perfection of the world at the primordial moment of creation.
The ancient Egyptian language had no word for "art", and artistic expression was not individualistic, as it served a wider cosmic purpose of maintaining order (Ma'at). The style was highly standardised and symbolic, with a canon of proportions and symbols that provided a framework for Egyptian art. This framework was established in the pre-dynastic period and used for over 3000 years, with little outside influence.
The Nile River's predictable flooding and abundant natural resources allowed Egyptian civilisation to flourish, and the surrounding deserts and seas discouraged invasion, contributing to the stability that enabled the arts to prosper. The search for useful and precious materials influenced foreign policy and trade routes, enriching Egyptian material culture. The availability of fine stones and minerals from the desert hills was exploited by artists and craftspeople, and the need for good wood led to expeditions to Lebanon, Somalia, and tropical Africa.
The functional purpose of Egyptian art is evident in its emphasis on the afterlife and the preservation of knowledge of the past. Much of the surviving art comes from tombs and monuments, with images of food and drink offerings painted inside coffins to provide a magical substitute for real provisions placed in the tomb. The sides of coffins that faced east were decorated with a pair of eyes so that the deceased could look towards the rising sun, symbolising daily rebirth. Egyptian art also served to represent socioeconomic status and belief systems, with figures sized according to their importance rather than distance from the painter's viewpoint.
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Artworks were two-dimensional or three-dimensional
Ancient Egyptian art was highly sophisticated, stylized, and symbolic, with a focus on functionality and permanence. The artworks were often two-dimensional or three-dimensional, with a distinctive style that changed very little over time. This consistency was due to the belief that images were eternal truths, which could become reality through divine intervention.
The two-dimensional artworks of Ancient Egypt were mainly paintings on papyrus or flat surfaces in tombs, temples, and palaces. These paintings were created using mineral pigments chosen for their ability to withstand strong sunlight without fading. The ancient Egyptians did not use true fresco techniques but instead applied paint to dried plaster, a method known as "fresco a secco" in Italian. Papyrus, a fragile medium, was also used for painting and writing, exported to various ancient states. However, it usually only survived when buried in very dry conditions.
Three-dimensional artworks in Ancient Egypt included sculptures and reliefs. The Great Pyramids at Giza, for example, feature iconic relief sculptures of Menkaure and one of his queens. These sculptures are rigid and frontal, with the queen's gesture conveying familial belonging. The Ptolemaic dynasty, a Macedonian Greek royal family ruling during the Hellenistic period, also contributed to three-dimensional artworks, although they generally avoided mixing Egyptian and Hellenistic styles in their sculptures.
The use of perspective and depth in Ancient Egyptian art is worth noting. Artists employed frontality and axiality, placing figures on an axis with their sizes determined by importance rather than distance. Figures were often depicted in unnatural poses to convey specific messages, such as the act of worship with both arms extended forward and hands upraised. Additionally, the background was shown above the figure, and the foreground below or to one side, creating a realistic dialogue between the three-dimensional world and the two-dimensional painting.
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The use of makeup was a characteristic feature of the culture
The use of makeup was a characteristic feature of ancient Egyptian culture. The ancient Egyptians were prolific users of makeup, and cosmetics were an important part of daily life for both men and women from all social classes. The application of makeup was not merely about aesthetics; it also held spiritual and ritual significance. The ancient Egyptians believed that makeup served a protective function, shielding them from evil influences and the bright sunlight.
The use of cosmetics in ancient Egypt was influenced by social class, with wealthier individuals tending to wear more makeup due to their ability to afford a greater variety of expensive pigments and compounds. The apparatuses, containers, and applicators used to store and apply makeup were often lavish art objects crafted from expensive materials like glass, gold, or semi-precious stones. These objects were adorned with symbols associated with rejuvenation and rebirth, such as fish, goddesses, or young women. For example, fish-shaped palettes were especially popular, perhaps due to the symbolism of the fish as a representation of resurrection, new life, and fertility.
The ancient Egyptians utilised a variety of tools to apply their makeup, including brushes made from the Salvadora persica tree, small sticks for applying kohl to the eyes, pads for applying powders, and reeds with red ochre clay attached for painting the lips. They also employed friction stones to grind minerals like azurite into powder and created ointments and eye paints using ingredients such as red natron, northern salt, honey, and galena pigment. These eye paints were even believed to have medicinal properties, treating eye infections and stimulating the body's immune response.
The use of makeup in ancient Egypt extended beyond life and into death. Burial sites from the earliest periods of Egyptian society reveal that it was common to include cosmetic items in the graves of individuals, indicating the significance of personal appearance to their identity. Mummies and death masks often featured idealised faces with smooth skin and kohl-rimmed eyes, further emphasising the enduring importance of makeup in ancient Egyptian culture.
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Artworks were created to provide peace and assistance to the deceased in the afterlife
Ancient Egyptian art was created to serve a functional purpose that was intertwined with the culture's religion and ideology. The artworks were not meant to be naturalistic representations of the world but rather to provide permanence and an idealised view of it. A significant proportion of surviving ancient Egyptian artworks were designed to provide peace and assistance to the deceased in the afterlife.
The ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife and that artworks could accompany the deceased on their journey. Tomb paintings often depicted the deceased carrying out everyday tasks or activities they were involved in when they were alive, believing that they would continue doing these for eternity. The paintings also showed the deceased offering sacrifices to gods, such as Isis or Osiris, who was believed to be the god that everyone became associated with and destined to rise from the dead. Other common images included snakes, scorpions, and weapons to protect the tomb and keep evil spirits away.
The ancient Egyptians also created small models of animals, slaves, and possessions out of painted wood to be placed in tombs, believing they would provide for the afterlife. They also included statuettes of magical servants, or shabti, to carry out agricultural work in the afterlife. These figurines were inscribed with spells so that they would answer the call to work. The Egyptians also believed that the coffin had to resemble the deified state of the deceased so that their soul could recognise it and return.
The ancient Egyptian artworks were created to preserve the present as clearly and permanently as possible. They believed that rendering a subject in art gave it permanence, and the artworks were designed to represent socioeconomic status and belief systems. The Nile, which provided a stable life for the Egyptians, also influenced the art, as the surrounding desert hills were rich in minerals and fine stones that artists could use.
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